Judge insists Pistorius must go for 30-day psychiatric evaluation

Judge Thokozile Masipa ruled on Wednesday at the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius that the Olympic star must undergo a 30-day psychiatric evaluation.
Masipa ruled that the mental health of the double-amputee athlete, who stands accused of the premeditated murder of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, must be assessed by a state-owned psychiatric institution.
Masipa said Pistorius would visit the institution daily as an outpatient.
“A proper inquiry, which would be more comprehensive, would inter alia ensure the accused gets a fair trial,” she said.
The judge said the name of the chosen psychiatric institution and other logistical details of the order would be announced on May 20.
Masipa was granting a request made by the state prosecution after a defence witness, forensic psychiatrist Merryl Vorster, had testified that Pistorius was suffering from “abnormal anxiety”.
Vorster had noted that a generalised anxiety disorder could have affected Pistorius’ decisions on the night of the crime.
Pistorius, 27, shot Steenkamp four times through a closed toilet door in his home in February 2013.
The defendant says he thought an intruder was behind the door.
If found guilty of premeditated murder, he could face a life sentence, thereby spending at least 25 years in prison.
dpa/NAN.